Echo
by FoxInBox aka FIB
Summary: Many years have passed, but Madara can't let go. Natsume's grandchildren never realized how much trouble they were in.
1. Chapter 1

The world had changed, as it always did.

The fields and trees had disappeared as time passed, stealing away the homes of many low level ayakashi to make way for humans' structures. Where there had once been nature now stood shopping centers and apartment complexes, concrete and metal. Madara had watched it from both near and far, amused and infuriated by the changes. After all, his territory had been left alone and it did provide some source of entertainment. At the same time, it also proved just how bold and greedy humans were becoming. Not that that was anything new, really. He retreated to the mountains, where the air was still mostly clean and where few humans dared to intrude. It was fine for a while, but he soon found himself restless. As loathe as he was to admit it, Natsume had ruined him; sparked his interest in humans. Certain ones, that is.

"You've been visiting that town an awful lot, Madara."

He glanced towards the speaker with a low growl, which was ruined by the fact he had the voice of an old man and the body of a fat cat. Hinoe smiled serenely as she blew a ring of smoke towards him. He huffed and settled himself, round head held high. She waited for his response, brow arched elegantly. When there seemed to be none forthcoming, she sighed, eyes tracing slowly across the horizon. The air above them was clear and the stars twinkled merrily, but from the mountainside it was easy to see the heavy smog that hung over the distant city like some terrible omen.

"It seems like a rather unfortunate living situation, doesn't it?" she continued idly, not bothering to turn away from the sight. Madara stayed silent, although she could sense him shifting. The words seemed to have affected him in some way he was unwilling to admit. She heaved a dramatic sigh, although the quirk to her lips ruined the effect. "I suppose it's actually fortunate, in some ways."

"Alright, you impertinent creature." Madara snarled, turning towards her. His fur puffed out, making his already round form seem slightly larger (and softer) than before. "What is it that you might be referring to?"

Hinoe's smile disappeared. She turned to look at him, eyes narrowed dangerously. Against the backdrop of the glowing city lights, the golden threads of her kimono seemed to be made of fire. "Natsume. I'm saying that perhaps it's good that Natsume is gone from this world. I know why you visit that place so often, Madara. That person is not the human that you...that _we_ cared for once."

She expected him to be angry. There was a part of her that wanted him to be. Instead, he laughed. It was a bitter sound.

"Did you somehow trick yourself into believing that I thought otherwise?" he demanded, eyes dark. "I go for my own amusement; to sate my own curiosity. There is no other reason."

And with that, he turned and left at a slow pace, head and tail held high. Hinoe watched him go, her face left carefully void of any emotion.


	2. Chapter 2

The children were small. He wondered how old they might be.

Every day they followed the same careful routine; walking the same path to and from school. Going to the same parks and stores. Doing the same thing over and over again. It was tiring just to watch, and he often found himself wondering how any human could stand it. Sometimes, he wondered if Natsume had ever been that way, or if he would have been had youkai not interrupted his routines.

Madara frowned as he watched them pass by, the taller of the two not pausing to spare him a glance while the smaller one turned to stare with wide eyes, just as always. He stared unblinkingly back, watching the child's face. He would never admit that he was searching for some hint of familiarity there. (He had found it, of course, or else he wouldn't have come back over and over again. He wanted more, though.)

Her eyes (and by that point he was almost certain that the smaller one was a female, and the other was a male) were darker than Natsume's had been, but her hair was almost the same color. Her face was rounder than his, but Madara supposed that that could be attributed to her age. He thought that she might grow up to look very much like Reiko had, although her expressions would likely be kinder. She never faced the hardships that that woman had. Madara thought that she would wear the soft, kind eyes that Natsume had once. Although maybe her smiles would be more genuine.

The boy was a different story, though. Madara had noted how he kept his head down, and how he seemed to flinch at certain strange things. The youkai had the feeling that the boy might grow up to be very different from the younger cousin that he walked to and from school with every day. He looked so much like Natsume had; the same eyes and face, the same body type. He held himself like Natsume on a bad day, shoulders hunched and arms held in a way that might be considered defensive. Every day, though, Madara saw pieces of Reiko creeping into his expression. He watched the world with the same sort of hidden fear and weary hatred as she once had.

It was easy to see why, of course. Madara had followed the human boy home before. He had heard the yelling and the shattering glass and the sounds of a child crying out more than once.

The youkai followed the pair at a distance, waddling along the walls that lined the street and kept every human family's careful secrets thoroughly hidden from the outside world.

Madara waited until the girl had disappeared into her house, the door closing firmly behind her, before continuing on. After dropping his younger cousin off at home, the boy would continue on to his own dwelling. He would go inside, wait in the empty house doing homework or chores, until his father arrived home. After that it was anyone's guess, depending on the human's mood. It was disgusting, really. Madara had considered intervening on a few occasions, hearing a too-familiar voice crying out in pain or sorrow. He never did, though. Although he would never admit it, there was a part of him that dreaded the instant that Natsume's look-alike would stare blindly through his magnificent true form.

The human child paused at the gate that led to his house. He stared up at the unassuming building, nearly identical to the other dwellings that surrounded it, and yet so very imposing. Madara waddled along the gate, stopped, and mewled. The boy's head snapped to the side to stare at the cat with wide eyes. He was shaking. Madara mewled again. The boy smiled, slight and soft and so very like his ancestor that Madara could feel a twinge of something deep and stinging in his chest. He refused to give a name to such a ridiculous sensation.

"Are you hungry?"

His voice was nothing like Natsume's had been. It was rough, and it was pitched in the way all young children's are. But Madara could hear the familiar kindness. He mewed again, moving carefully closer to the human.

The boy reached forward and ran a hand through the fur of his back, slow and gentle, and Madara's eyes slid shut and he allowed himself a moment to pretend that these were familiar hands.

Then the boy scooped him up clumsily and the illusion was over.

Struggling with the weight, the human carried him through the gate and into his home, his previous uncertainty seemingly forgotten. He dropped Madara on the floor and pulled a bowl from the cupboard and a carton of milk from the refrigerator. He put the bowl in front of Madara, and then squatted down to stroke his fur while the youkai made a show of examining the offering. He glanced up at the child's hopeful face before finally lowering his head to the bowl and delicately lapping up the milk with a pink tongue.

He could feel the boy's eyes on him, and the smile in his tone when he murmured, "Good kitty. I'm glad you like it."

Madara had to bite back his response. He didn't know yet whether this boy would be able to understand him-descendant of Natsume or not. And even if he could, the youkai did not want to run the risk of scaring him off. He wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

So instead of the biting remark that had risen immediately to the forefront of his mind, he simply mewed once more and let the child rub the area between his ears. If the great and powerful beast purred, then who was there to tell?

They stayed like that for a little while, and Madara wound around his ankles as the boy worked on his homework. The door that lead into the small backyard remained open, letting in the sunlight and the hint of a breeze. It felt peaceful and familiar, and Madara was able to close his eyes and feel content for the first time in nearly four decades.

It wasn't long before the sound of a door closing shattered the tranquility. The human boy stood quickly, his bare foot nearly colliding with the cat-like creature's furry head. Madara glared upwards, fur standing on end, and caught sight of the boy's panicked expression. Without any ceremony, the human scooped him up and tossed him into the backyard with a whispered apology. Madara stood where he was for a moment, watching as the child scrambled hurriedly to greet his father. He walked away before any of the commotion started, not bothering to look back.

He knew now that he was welcomed into the human dwelling by the boy, at least, and that was all that really mattered.

He planned to return soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The boy was leaning against a tree in the park, back pressed hard into the bark. It was apparent that he'd been crying, eyes red and swollen and face scrunched up in an effort to stop the tears. He had his knees pulled up to his chest but his face turned towards the sunshine. Madara didn't miss the slight flinch as his shadow fell across the boy.

"What are you doing here, kid?"

He didn't have the gentle tones right yet. He didn't think that he'd ever be able to accurately mimic the expressions or voice, but he's gotten the appearance almost perfect. The boy's eyes opened and he looked up at Madara with a wide golden gaze, so much like his ancestors'; Similar to the eyes that Madara bears now. It had always amused him, how much like an ayakashi Reiko had looked and how much her descendants bore that same resemblance.

"I'm not doing anything." The boy nearly spat, but whatever tough front he had been trying for was interrupted by the hitch in his voice when he said, "I'm f-fine."

He turned away quickly, knuckles scrubbing at his eyes as though that would hide the evidence of his tears. Madara stared for a second longer, curious and bemused. Then he sat down beside the small boy, legs crossed.

"I can see that, idiot. But you're in my favorite spot so I have no choice but to join you."

It was the boy's turn to look bemused, head cocked and lips twisted as he tried to figure out whether he wanted to stay or leave. Madara decided to help him make the decision.

"What's your name, kid?"

It was funny, seeing the way the human's cheeks turned red even as his eyes narrowed. "I'm not a kid! I'll be eleven next fall." He paused, considering, before muttering, "My name is Natsume. Natsume Hibiki."

Madara hummed. Hibiki; It was fitting. "Eleven, eh? Practically an adult. Are you ready to strike out on your own then, _Na-tsu-me_?" It was familiar to address someone by that name once more, the sneer coming by nature even after so many years. It left a sour taste in his mouth, though, to call this child by another's name. "Going to leave home soon? Make your own decisions like an adult?"

If anything, the boy's face had grown impossibly redder. He looked away, frowning as he muttered, "No, but I wish." then, louder, "And who are you supposed to be? The village idiot?"

"You impertinent brat! I am called Madara, and you would do well to remember that."

Hibiki frowned, squinting at Madara as though he wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. Madara sniffed, crossing his arms, and Hibiki burst out laughing.

The sound was nice.

After that, the meetings between Hibiki and Madara (in both human and cat form) grew more and more frequent.

On the occasions he appeared in his feline form, Hibiki seemed thrilled. He welcomed the apparent cat into his home, feeding him milk and leftovers. Madara learned many things about his life, then. More than he ever would have, had the boy known he could understand every shaking word and broken sob and giggled secret.

The human seemed to enjoy Madara's seemingly-human company, as well. When they went out together, they would pick up snacks to try from around town. The look of annoyance when Madara made him pay made the youkai laugh, even while something within him seemed to ache. Despite the reluctance the boy had about using his scant allowance to purchase food for Madara, he seemed to welcome the escape from the monotony of home-school-home day in and day out, and the smile that appeared whenever Madara did was enough to break hearts.

The more time they spent together, though, the more whispers Madara could hear from people who saw them. Some commenting on his appearance, others on the apparent similarity between Madara and Hibiki. When he heard an old woman murmuring that she hadn't known Hibiki had an elder brother, he wondered if he might have made a mistake in choosing to take Natsume's form instead of Reiko's.

But by that point, it was far too late to change.


	4. Chapter 4

"What you're doing is stupid." Hinoe said quietly, blowing elegant rings of smoke towards him.

Madara's upper lip curled, and he snapped at her, dissipating the wisps of smoke with enormous teeth. She did not flinch, staring at him with an expression caught somewhere between disdain and amusement. He thinks, perhaps, it is what humans call pity.

"Shut up and pass the sake." the great beast rumbled, and the earth below them seemed to quake. Hinoe rolled her eyes, but partially obliged, handing over the jug she had had cradled between her thighs, without bothering to drink from, for far too long.

"What do you think you're going to gain by this, anyway?" She continued idly, unhindered by his growls or flashing teeth. "He will grow old and die, just like every other human. Just like Natsume."

Somehow, her matter-of-fact tone made her words seem more biting. Madara turned away, sulking into the jug of sake, like that would somehow discourage her. She stared at him for a long time, sharp eyes narrowed, before eventually turning away. The humans' city glowed, far away from their mountain. Little golden lights marked the houses that were slowly, continuously spreading outwards, farther and farther away from the ever-growing city. They looked almost like fire a spreading fire, encroaching further and further upon youkai territories.

They would have to do something about that, eventually.

Far too often, though, a spirit could blink, and a thousand years would have passed for the humans, and suddenly "eventually" was something they could no longer touch, for it had passed a millennium before.

Madara growled, downing more sake, trying to dissipate the mood he had found himself in. Hinoe looked on, pipe clenched between teeth that were sometimes too sharp, puffing thoughtfully.

"Do you even know yet if he can see your true form?" She paused, lips pursing. "And what will you do if he cannot? Will you go on pretending, Madara?"

The great beast did not respond, and Hinoe turned again to look at him, lip curling in disgust.

"Give him up! Natsume is gone, and some child who shares his face will not replace him."

This time, it was Hinoe who turned her back and left, not bothering to look back. Madara did not watch her go, his gaze focused on the faraway city lights.


	5. Chapter 5

Hibiki was at the table, hand propping up his head as he tried to focus on his homework. The evening sunlight filtered in through the curtains, and the leaves outside had turned radiant shades of gold and crimson. In the next room over, his cousin was doing her own homework, the papers spread out across the hardwood floor. Her parents had gone out that night, and although his father would be working late, he had been entrusted with her care.

It wasn't the first time she was left in his charge, considering he walked her to and from school almost every day. So aside from making sure she was fed and clean, and that she finished her homework and didn't die, there wasn't much to do. It was kind of nice, to have the company, since neither Madara or the fat cat had shown their faces for a few weeks. The place had felt lonely, with just him and his father. Even talking to the picture he secretly kept of his mother left him feeling no comfort.

Hibiki was just starting to doze, a math problem left half finished, when he heard his cousin squeal. He glanced over, watching through the doorway as she scuttled backwards, scattering her carefully placed school papers in the process. The boy frowned. Had she seen a spider?

"Chiyoko, what are you doing?"

The girl glanced over at him, her eyes wide as they darted from him to something outside his line of sight. She said nothing. Hibiki sighed and turned back to his homework, the pleasant heaviness of sleep gone. Chiyoko was silent for a few moments, and the lull of boredom began to drift over him, until there was a sudden scraping noise. It sounded as if heavy furniture was being dragged across the floor.

His head snapped up, brow creasing in worry and confusion. There was no way his tiny cousin would be able to move any of the furniture. He turned to see what was happening.

"What are you doing?"

His cousin stood in the doorway, and as she turned to stare at him, she whispered, "There's something in the room with me."

A cold chill rushed down Hibiki's spine at the words and the wild-eyed expression on her usually happy face. The blood pounded in his ears as thoughts ran through his mind. Was it a robber? Or maybe even something worse?

He stood up quickly, cringing as his chair tipped and clattered loudly to the floor. Chiyori did not flinch, even as the noises from the room ceased briefly before starting up again, seeming to move more quickly. Hibiki stepped forward, his hand outstretched towards his cousin, whose gaze was moving from him to the intruder.

He gestured frantically for her to come to him. She didn't move, and he could see the way that her hands trembled and her knees threatened to buckle. He gathered his courage before stepping closer, closer, close enough to grab a handful of her jacket and tug her backwards towards him.

From the corner of his eye he saw an enormous, misshapen figure in the room. It was turned away from them, it's attention focused on the pictures hanging on the wall. His heart felt as if it might burst from his chest as he scrambled backwards, pulling his cousin along with him.

He didn't stop until he felt the wall behind him, halting their retreat. He stayed where he was, frozen, too afraid to even move. What if it heard them? Maybe it would just stay where it was, if they didn't bother it.

There was silence as they huddled together, uncertain and scared, pressed against the far wall. He just hoped that whatever it was that was in the room hadn't seen them. The silence stretched on, and all he could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears and Chiyoko's breathing as she pressed against him. Her shaking had stopped, her eyes were focused only on the doorway, an expression on her face as if she wasn't quite sure what she had seen and was considering going back to get a better look.

Hibiki pulled her closer, hand gripping her upper arm tightly. She turned to look up at him and whispered, "You're hurting me."

He let go immediately.

"Is it gone?"

Her whisper was far too loud, and the boy winced, but nothing happened. No creature appeared to rip the flesh from their bodies, no robber ran in wielding a knife. He felt as if he could breath once more. He cleared his throat, trying to relieve the tightness there.

"Maybe...maybe we just imagined-"

There was a shattering sound, causing both of the children to jump. Chiyoko let out a startled yelp, and Hibiki pulled her closer, shushing her.

"We need to get out of the house." He hissed, trying to keep his voice low and steady, to not let her know how frightened he was. He began to move forward, keeping her close, eyes still focused on the doorway.

"_Natsume_."

The voice was quiet, like a whisper, like the breeze. He froze. _It knew his name_.

"_Natsume_."

Chiyoko clutched at his hand, now working to pull him forward instead. He found he couldn't move.

"_Natsume_."

The voice was closer, and Chiyoko was crushing his fingers. It was so very sad.

"_Natsume_."

The creature appeared in the doorway, filling the whole frame with it's mass. Chiyoko let out a single sob, fingernails biting into his skin as she gave another desperate yank. He stepped backwards, eyes trained on the creature. It stared back, it's eyes enormous and endless in the shadow of it's featureless face, like black holes. It felt as if he might be sucked in at any moment.

He stumbled another few steps towards the front door, but the thing was right there and he knew that if it decided to chase them it would inevitably win.

"_Natsume_." The creature said.

"Hibiki, please!" Chiyoko choked out, and they broke into a run for the door. As they reached it, he turned to look one last time. His breath caught in his throat.

The creature was there, mere inches away from them.

Hibiki screamed, and Chiyoko threw open the door. There was a rush of wind, strong enough to throw both the children to the floor, and when he looked up again, the creature was nowhere to be seen.

It was ominously silent, and the sun cast a golden light across the room, lengthening the shadows. A cool breeze came through the open door, and the curtains that covered the glass panes of the door swayed slightly.

"Are you alright, Chiyoko?"

She was sobbing quietly, fingers biting into his flesh as she clung desperately to him. She shook her head frantically, pulling him closer before shoving him away.

"I want to go home! I want my parents!"

"Your parents aren't home right now. I...I don't know where they are, and my dad won't be home for a while. We have to stay here."

"But that thing might-"

"It's gone. It's not gonna come back." He wasn't sure that was true, but he didn't know what else to say to make her feel better. His cousin stared up at him with dark, watery eyes. Then, she nodded once.

"What did it want? Why did it know your name? What was it doing?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Let's go look."

Chiyoko hesitated, eyes darting between the empty doorway of the room and Hibiki's face. Then, a determined look came to her features. She bobbed her head once and pushed herself off the floor. Hibiki followed her lead, wincing as he realized he'd landed on his knee and that it would most certainly be bruised.

The first thing he noticed was the walls. There were scribbles all along them, twisting lines and pictures that made no sense. Yet, just by looking at them, he felt a sense of longing and loneliness that was not his own. He also felt a rush of horror as he wondered how he would explain this to his father. The second thing was that the furniture had, indeed, been pushed around. Everything was scattered, pillows and blankets thrown upon the floor, as if the creature had been searching for something. Last, one of the pictures that had been on the wall had fallen, and the glass had shattered.

"Don't get too near." He warned, as he stepped carefully forward. Kneeling, he pulled the old photograph from the broken frame. It was of his maternal grandfather, Takashi, before his death. Hibiki was never sure why they kept it around. He had never met the man, and after his mother had left, his father had gotten rid of almost every trace of her. But for some reason, he'd never thrown out this picture.

Carefully, he ran his fingers over the face in the picture. Something about those features seemed strangely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Hibiki frowned, considering the man that smiled gently back at him, the first traces of laugh lines appearing around his eyes.

Finally, the boy shook his head and turned away, placing the photograph on the little table that had been settled in front of the sofa, before the creature had moved it.

When he looked up again, Chiyoko was standing there with a broom. He managed to smile at her and accepted it, setting about the task of cleaning up the glass, which tinkled like little bells as it was moved.

"What are we going to do about the furniture?"

Her voice was quiet as she surveyed the room with a considering, yet still nervous, gaze. She was still worried that whatever the thing was that had done this would be back. Hibiki couldn't blame her. Even though he had mostly calmed down, his heart still threatened to jump from his chest with every slight sound he heard.

"I don't know. Maybe if we work together we can move it back into place. I'm more worried about the walls, though."

"What's wrong with the walls?"

Hibiki gave her an incredulous look before making a sharp gesture towards the large figures that were drawn right where the picture of his grandfather had hung. Chiyoko stared back at him, a worried expression on her features.

"There's nothing there, Hibiki."

"But...it's right there. Why-" He shook his head, turning away. The writing covered every wall, and yet his cousin denied being able to see it. She wasn't a liar.

"Alright. Let's see if we can move the sofa back into place."

They worked quickly and efficiently, the tension leaking from the room and lighthearted conversation taking it's place. Despite that, though, every time he laid eyes upon those strange markings, her words echoed through his head.

_There's nothing there._


	6. Chapter 6

The neighborhood playground was nearly deserted when they arrived.

Dusk was still some hours away, but the chill in the air had driven many children to seek the warmth and comfort of their own homes. Chiyoko's parents had gone out again, though, and had left her in the care of her uncle under the guise of a date night. Hibiki had heard the call, though, and his father's growls about the uselessness of trying to save relationships. After the girl had been dropped off, seeming just a little bit shaken, and his father had retreated back into his study to continue working, Hibiki had been the one to suggest they go to the playground to get her mind off of things.

He had settled himself upon a swing, watching Chiyoko as she climbed the slide over and over again, as though the thrill of going down it would never cease. She was borrowing one of his coats, and it looked ridiculous on her, the sleeves hanging halfway to her thighs. Of course, it was too big for Hibiki, as well. He wondered if he looked that silly when he wore it. If so, then it was no wonder some of the older students made faces at him.

He frowned, shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his mind. There was no reason to dwell on things that didn't matter. Instead, he began to pump his legs, driving himself higher and higher into the sky. He liked to imagine that this was close to what it might be like to fly.

They continued on like that in silence for a long while, Hibiki with his eyes closed as he imagined what it might be like to soar through the air, while Chiyoko's footsteps sounded cheerfully up and down the slide, again and again. Finally, though, the peace was interrupted.

"Hey, Hibiki?"

Chiyoko's voice was small, almost frightened. Immediately, he dug his feet into the earth beneath the swing, halting his flight with a painful jerk. Chiyoko was sitting on the top of the slide, her legs dangling down the metal surface. Her gaze was thoughtful and far away, but as he looked around, Hibiki could find no creature that might inspire such an expression. He relaxed, very slightly, and waited for her to continue. She turned to look at him.

"Hibiki...before your mom left, did your parents fight?"

The words left him reeling for a moment, staring up at her with wide eyes. He had never spoken with anyone about his mother. She was a forbidden topic in his household, and he wasn't sure what to say. His mouth felt dry, suddenly, his tongue too big for his mouth. She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. Hibiki swallowed a few times, then cleared his throat before trying to answer.

"Um, I don't...I don't really remember too well. I was pretty young when mom...when she left."

Chiyoko continued to appraise him, and it was apparent that she was waiting for him to continue. Her legs had begun to swing ever so slightly, and the hollow sound of her shoes hitting the metal of the slide seemed suddenly haunting in the otherwise quiet park. Hibiki wet his lips before struggling on.

"I guess I do remember that they fought sometimes."

He shrugged, looking away from his cousin to his lap, fingers entwining and clutching one another tight enough that his knuckles had begun to turn white. He forced himself to let go, resting his hands on his knees instead.

"Oh. What did they fight about?"

"I don't know."

The words had come out harsher than he'd intended, and Hibiki quickly took a breath to calm himself. He looked back towards Chiyoko, taking in her pinched expression, the worry in her eyes. Realization dawned on him.

"What were your parents fighting about, before you came here?"

He was far enough away that he couldn't see the way her lower lip trembled, but in the fading sunlight it was easy to catch the way her eyes glistened and to hear the slightest tremble in her voice as she spoke.

"I told them about the monster.""

His heart caught in his chest as his mouth fell open. She had told them?

"Did they believe you?"

Chiyoko bit her lip, looking away from him and then back again, before slowly shaking her head.

"Daddy didn't. He said it was a nightmare, or that you were playing a trick."

Hibiki bit his tongue to resist saying something about that. Her father had never liked Hibiki's own, and that dislike had bled down to include Hibiki himself. Her mother, though, had always been kind.

"What did they argue about?" He prompted instead, abandoning his swing and moving to rest on the gravel at the bottom of the slide. Even in the ridiculous coat, Chiyoko looked like a deity perched high above him against a backdrop of light. Her gaze was faraway and sad, and a light wind stirred her hair. Hibiki wondered how it was that any child, even her age, could have never seen their parents fight before.

"They were arguing about the creature, and about me." She finally admitted, voice so quiet that Hibiki had to strain to hear it. "Mama said that maybe I did really see it, and daddy said that it was impossible. That made her really angry, I think."

Hibiki didn't know what to say about that. He wanted to berate her for telling them about the creature in the first place; Had she really believed that they wouldn't worry about her, or that they would believe her? He wanted to tell her that sometimes things ended badly, and that your parent might leave without warning and never return; Would never visit or even call. He wanted to tell her that life could be awful and lonely and painful, and oftentimes was.

Instead he smiled up at her and said, "Don't worry, Chiyoko. Your parents love each other a lot. I'm sure things will be alright."

He just hoped the words didn't sound as empty to her ears as they did to his own.


	7. Chapter 7

The sky was dark by the time Hibiki began his trek back to his house. The groceries were heavy in his arms, the change too light as it jangled in his pocket, and he was grateful that he didn't have too terribly far to go to get home. The streets weren't empty, but it was also too early for the people looking to experience the nightlife to be out. The only people around were the ones like him; stragglers, doing their last minute shopping or who were on their way home, hoping to escape indoors before the air became bitingly cold.

Still, it wasn't long before he left the quiet bustle of the shopping areas and found himself wandering between buildings so tall he couldn't see the tops of them. His neighborhood fell just beyond the main stretch of the city, and though he'd heard this area was relatively safe and had traveled through it before, he still felt his skin crawl every time he passed the pitch dark alleyways. In the city, though, the alleys were the only things that were truly dark. The neon lights glittered all around him, advertising a vast variety of different wares. He found himself staring, just a bit, as he passed a storefront with pictures of women all across it. A lady at the door caught him staring and waved, adding a playful wink. Hibiki turned away quickly, cheeks heating up.

It wasn't long before he left the main part of the city. He breathed a sigh of relief to be away from all the chaos and people, glad for the reprieve that a field of crops offered. It was the only thing that separated his neighborhood from the city itself. He was glad of it.

The moon shone dimly above him, and the dark covering of smog reflected the city's lights, making sure that he was never trapped in total darkness even at night. That was how he was able to see the woman that stood a little ways ahead.

Even from a distance he could see that she was tall, and worryingly thin. Her hair was pale enough that it almost glowed in the dim light of the night, hanging limply to her waist. She did not move.

Her stillness was eerie. He had seen people like this before; The men and women who had lost themselves to the darkest corners of the city and it's vices and held no hope of returning. He's seen it with his mother, too.

Hibiki edged to the other side of the thankfully wide dirt path, wishing he could move further away, but there was a swamp of crops on either side of them and he certainly wasn't willing to risk getting lost in it. As he drew closer, the woman didn't so much as twitch. She didn't even look at him despite the loud crunching noise each of his steps produced, her gaze remained trained on the ground. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, trying to remain calm and ignore his thundering heart and how quickly his breaths were coming. He tried to avoid looking at her, but there was something about her presence that drew his eye. He was almost afraid to pass her by, the thought of her being at his back making his breath catch in his throat.

She was nearly out of his line of sight, and he was halfway considering walking backwards just to keep an eye on her, when he noticed her twitch. His steps faltered and his grip on his groceries tightened as he wondered if he should run or not. Then, she called out to him.

"Excuse me, child? Might I ask you something?"

Hibiki paused. Her voice was high and gentle. She sounded very sweet, very normal, but when he turned to look directly at her he found that she still had not moved her position or raised her eyes from the ground.

He swallowed thickly, before forcing out a polite, "What is it?"

"I just want to know...do you have it?"

Hibiki stared at her uncertainly, not sure if her words were nonsense or if he simply didn't understand.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but do I have...what?"

"You are Natsume, are you not?"

Hibiki felt bile rise in his throat as a chill spilled down his spine.

"How do you know my name?" He demanded, voice cracking, and in another situation he might have winced at the sound.

Slowly, she raised her head to look at him. Hibiki felt as though his heart might stop.

She wasn't human.

Her eyes were pale and glowing, her mouth far too large for her face. He stumbled backwards, the grocery bag crinkling noisily in his arms. Fear forced tears to his eyes and he quickly blinked them away, trying to tell his legs to work. But he couldn't seem to find the strength to flee. The woman took one jilting step forward, her mouth spreading impossibly further, stretching her angular features into even more distorted forms. Hibiki whimpered and managed another stumbling step back.

"Give it to me." The woman murmured, her voice echoing eerily across the empty fields.

"I don't know what you-"

"GIVE IT TO ME!"

Hibiki screamed as she lurched towards him, clawed hands outstretched and hair lashing violently, seemingly of it's own accord. The groceries were thrown to the ground, rolling away into the darkness as the boy tried to run. She was far too fast though, clawed hands catching at his back and arms, tripping him. He crashed into the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs. He lay gasping for only a split second before she was on him, hands at this throat, hair thrashing and coiling wildly about his face. She felt far too heavy and strong for her lithe frame as she knelt upon his chest. Hibiki struck out weakly at her, trying to force her to let go. She only laughed and squeezed harder, leaning forward until her face was only inches from his own.

"Where is the book, Natsume? Tell me."

Her breath felt like ice on his skin. Her voice was no longer sweet, but instead sounded like the angry winds that echoed off of the high buildings. Hibiki tried to speak, but he could find no air with which to do it. Spots had begun to cloud his vision, and the creature tilted her head slightly, her glowing eyes narrowing.

"Humans are-"

Whatever she was going to say was quickly cut off. There was a burst of light and a high pitched humming, and with a scream, she was gone.

For a moment, Hibiki just lay where he had fallen, gasping for air. His throat was raw and aching. His back stung where she had grabbed for him and his chest felt as though it might have caved in from the weight of her settling there.

But he was alive.

Tears flooded his eyes once again, and a quiet sob ripped from his raw throat. Not bothering to wipe away the tears that made tracks down his dirt-stained cheeks, Hibiki reached up to pull at the collar of his shirt. It felt too tight, like it too would constrict and try to kill him. Turning onto his side, the child curled in on himself, his sobbing growing louder as the realization of what had just happened sunk in.

He wasn't sure how long he lay in the dirt, sobbing and in pain. Hibiki wanted his mother, and the realization made him want to cry harder. But instead, slowly, he attempted to pull himself together. Pushing himself onto his knees, breath still coming in pathetic little hiccups, he tried to blink away the worst of his tears. He had to salvage what he could of the groceries and get home. His father would be angry if he didn't. That is, if the dirt on his hands and the stains on his clothes weren't enough to do the trick. Hibiki heaved a shaky sigh that felt like needles in his throat and attempted to push himself up on wobbly knees.

There was a snort of contempt somewhere above him. Slowly, he raised his head, trying to ignore the sharp pain the action brought. His breath caught as he saw the figure who towered above him, arms crossed over her chest. For a split second, his mind supplied her with a name- _Mom_.

But no. As he snapped out of his shock, he knew it was impossible. The person standing before him was just a few years older than himself, even dressed in a school uniform he didn't recognize. Her eyes were too light, and her features too sharp. Yet somehow, the resemblance that the stranger bore to his mother was uncanny.

Quickly, Hibiki scrambled to his feet.

"I'm alright." He lied, voice rasping and barely audible, knowing even as the words tumbled from his mouth that it was obvious he wasn't. "I just tripped."

The woman let out another undignified snort before blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Don't bother lying to me, kid. I'm the one who saved your butt."

Hibiki stared at her blankly, confused. When he spoke, his voice sounded far too weak, and far too hopeful. "What do you mean?"

She let out a harsh noise of laughter, mouth seeming to open far too wide as she did so. "I saw it, too."

The boy felt his mouth drop open, eyes widening in surprise. He wanted to ask how, and who, and why. But somehow, his throat just wouldn't cooperate. The woman rolled her eyes before reaching down towards him. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut, instinctively expecting the unexpected sudden movement to result in pain in some way.

When none was forthcoming, he slowly opened his eyes again. The stranger held a peach in her hand, one of the very same ones that had been lost in the struggle. He felt his breath catch in his throat just at the thought, but quickly pushed it away.

"I need that." He announced, pushing himself up all the way. Scanning the path, he was happy to find that the majority of the groceries had survived the trip to the ground, and that though the bag had ripped, he might still be able to salvage it.

He looked back towards the stranger and held out his hand. In response, she looked him in the eye as she bit into the peach.

"Hey! I just told you I needed that!"

"Yeah, well I just saved your life. I'd expect a little gratitude. This dumb fruit is the least you could do!" And with that, she tossed the rest of the peach away. Hibiki stared at her, dumbfounded.

"You could have at least finished eating it."

She simply grinned.


	8. Chapter 8

Although she didn't help him to carry the groceries and complained about the distance the whole way home, Hibiki was glad that the girl walked with him. She was rude, loud and vulgar, but it seemed as if her very presence kept the monsters at bay. The boy couldn't help but feel grateful for that, at least.

The streetlamps were already on by the time they came to his neighborhood. Usually, when he was traversing the streets after dark, they gave an almost eerie, surreal feeling to the walk home. However, with the girl chattering loudly just a few steps in front of him, they didn't feel menacing in the least bit. Hibiki watched her as they walked, almost convinced he could see something familiar in her movements as well as her face. He couldn't seem to put his finger on it, though.

He pursed his lips in thought, then winced when he realized he had a cut by his mouth. He was aching all over, and probably had more than a few bruises. He wandered if his dad would notice, then realized that he really hoped he wouldn't. After all, the man was already pretty touchy about things. Hibiki didn't want to give him any reason to be even more so.

Hibiki sped up a little bit as they neared his house, not wanting to make his throat hurt even more by having to raise his voice to let the girl know when they reached his place. To his surprise, though, she stopped in front of the correct gate before he could catch up, staring thoughtfully up at the house. Hibiki moved to stand next to her, staring up at her with surprise and thinly veiled suspicion.

"How did you know this was my house?"

She glanced towards him, eyebrow arched in a way that made him feel suddenly far too small. "This where you live, shrimp?" He nodded, and she snorted in return. "It looks like a miserable place."

Hibiki turned to look, trying to see what she did. He supposed, in a way, she was right. Although the building was well kept and looked similar to all the surrounding houses, there were some things that stood out. The windows were completely dark, which was unusual for how early it was. The lawn, while the same small size as the surrounding houses', was slightly overgrown and the single tree had long since dropped it's leaves. And, though the appearance wasn't all that unusual, there _was_ a sense of _something_ amiss to the place. As if the dark feelings and memories that were contained within the walls had leaked out into a dark cloud that hung over the property, unseen, but felt by all who bothered to look close enough.

Maybe that was just his imagination, though.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Aren't you going to show me inside?" With that, she pushed the gate open and headed towards the door.

Hibiki froze, eyes wide, before chasing after her, begging her to wait in a voice barely above a whisper. She turned towards him, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're a really awful host, you know that? After I saved your life and all, I'd think you'd be just begging to get me inside so you could get me some sake or something."

"We don't keep alcohol in the house. If he wants to drink, my dad just goes to the bar."

"Where do you keep your stash, then?"

"I don't drink."

"Well then you're a wimp."

"I'm ten."

The girl seemed to consider that before scowling and muttering, "That's no excuse."

Hibiki rolled his eyes, ready to continue the discussion before he remembered why he'd stopped her in the first place. He cast a nervous glance towards the house before he spoke, his voice still gravelly.

"I can't let you come inside, or else my dad might see you. He wouldn't like it if he found out that I walked this far with a stranger, or let you inside our house."

The girl looked affronted. "I saved your life!"

"That's true, and I'm grateful, but I don't even know your name. That means you're still a stranger."

The girl shrugged, pale hair shimmering in the dim light with the movement. "Fair point, I guess. But it's a moot point. Your dad ain't home, kid."

He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazed sternly up at her. He tried to ignore the way such a simple action made his chest feel like someone had lit a fire inside it and how his arms and back ached in a similarly painful fashion. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because all the windows are totally dark, idiot, and adults never go to bed this early. He's probably out at the bar like you mentioned earlier."

"...Oh."

"Yeah, oh." She smirked, eyes flashing. "So you gonna invite me inside or not?"

He let her lead the way up the path to the door, and let her go inside first after he'd unlocked it. Despite the light not being on and having never been in the house before, the girl made her way to the kitchen with seemingly no trouble. As he flipped the light on and followed after her, Hibiki couldn't help but wonder who, exactly, she was.

Trailing after her to the kitchen, he quickly put up the groceries and shoved the ruined bag to the bottom of the trashcan before sitting down at the table and watching as she moved through the space. He couldn't help but marvel at the easy, graceful movements. In the bright light she seemed totally normal, but Hibiki couldn't help but think that if he'd met her on the path instead of the monster woman, he might have thought she was something otherworldly as well. He also prayed that his father wouldn't come home any time soon. A stranger that resembled his mother prancing through the kitchen after dark definitely wouldn't go over well.

Hibiki frowned, a new thought entering his head.

"Did you ever know anyone by the name of Natsume?" He questioned, and the woman stilled, her back towards him. He felt his heart beat faster. "Natsume Mori. I've heard I look like her."

The girl turned towards him, and he noticed that she'd found a bag of chips and had her hand in it. He frowned, but didn't say anything, waiting for an answer. She looked thoughtful for only a brief second before shrugging. His frown deepened.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a no. I've never met anyone called Mori. What about it?"

"It's just...she's my mom. You remind me of her, I guess."

He found that he couldn't meet her eye, expecting her to laugh or ridicule him in some way. But instead, she moved to sit across from him. He could feel her staring at him, thoughtful and intense. He glanced up, meeting her eyes briefly. The color was strange; a bright, almost toxic green, but with hints of a gold not dissimilar to his own eye color.

"Hey, kid. I don't know your mom, but I'm sorry she's gone or whatever. I'd bet she was probably a pretty great person, right? Shit happens but that doesn't make things any easier and it still sucks. You'll get over it."

He stared at her, not sure what to say. None of his friends really knew anything about his mom, besides the fact she was gone, and none of them had ever bothered to ask. Yet this girl had offered him more kind words about his mother than he'd heard from anyone since she'd disappeared, even if the delivery was rough. Unbidden, tears welled in his eyes. He quickly ducked his head, trying to hide them, swiping desperately at his eyes with the sleeve of his coat. The girl's expression seemed to war between annoyed and dumbfounded as she watched him.

"Listen shrimp, there's no need to cry, alright? Hey, stop that!"

"S-sorry." came the hiccupped reply, and her face twisted more.

"Uh, don't you have any questions or anything? About earlier?"

Of course he did. He'd had nothing but questions since she'd come along and saved him. Past experiences with curiosity and older kids had taught him to keep his thoughts to himself, though. Slowly, he nodded and looked to her with watery eyes. She frowned, looking expectant. He swallowed around the knot in his throat, sniffled, and tried to voice his thoughts.

"Who are you? And what was that thing? Why can I see them, and nobody else seems to?" He paused, then corrected himself. "Almost nobody else, anyways. And...what do they want from me? That thing earlier knew my name, just like the other one."

At this, the girl narrowed her eyes. Ignoring his questions, she asked, "There was another one?"

He nodded eagerly, glad that he could finally talk to someone who might be able to tell him what was happening. He lowered his voice before speaking, glancing around the room as though afraid something would appear from the shadows. It was a legitimate concern. "There was this...shadowy thing that appeared in the house, when I was with my cousin. She could see it, too, but it...it only knew my name."

From within the bag of chips, Hibiki heard a crunch as the girl's fist clenched. Although her face was blank, it was as if anger was radiating from her very core. He broke out in goosebumps, a shudder running through him as the feeling of anger and what could only be described as power rolled over him. The boy shrank back instinctively, ducking his head and trying to block out the intrusive feelings.

"I- I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

With that, he rose from his spot, knocking his chair back in the process. He didn't pause to right it in his hurry to put some space between them. From her chair, the girl watched him go, eyes narrowing.

In the bathroom, with the water running, hands braced on the cool porcelain of the sink and golden eyes trained on the mirror, Hibiki got his first chance to see how he looked. He was once again reminded of how glad he was that his father hadn't been home when they'd arrived. As he was, it would have been impossible to say nothing had happened. Frankly put, he looked awful.

There was an unpleasant mix of dirt and blood on his face, from a split lip and a scraped chin. His clothes were spotted with dirt as well, and

when he strained to look over his shoulder, he saw his entire back half was caked in it, and that there were four long tears in the fabric of his sweater. He shuddered, remembering the clawed hand that had reached for him. Worst yet, around his neck was the distinct outline of two hands, the colors already changing from red to purple. Leaning forwards and resting his forehead against the cool glass of the mirror, Hibiki groaned.

"Maybe I'm lucky it's getting colder. At least this way I can get away with wearing turtlenecks."

"You could always just say your dad did it."

Hibiki couldn't help it; He screamed at the unexpected voice. The girl looked amused, leaning against the wall beside the door that he'd been certain he'd locked. Slowly, she raised a finger to her lips, eyes glinting.

"Careful, Natsume. You'll wake the neighbors."

"How did you get in here?"

"You left the door open, stupid."

"No, I didn't. And what do you mean by telling them my dad did it?"

"I mean that your father is a piece of shit and this would be a great way to get him out of your life, wouldn't it?" She kicked off from the wall as she spoke, moving closer to him, predatory in her movements. Hibiki stood frozen, watching her as she grabbed a towel and ran it under the warm water. He didn't move, even when she roughly began wiping the stains from his face. The only sound was the running water and the noises of pain that Hibiki tried and failed to stifle. After a few moments, she spoke again, surprising him.

"They're called youkai, but you probably figured that out already. You don't seem like a kid that's totally stupid." Hibiki stared at her blankly, and she groaned. "Well, maybe you are that stupid after all. Don't they tell you anything in schools anymore? Or did you ever think to go to a library after the..first one?" She asked about the first creature from between clenched teeth, still obviously angry, though Hibiki couldn't fathom why.

"I didn't really think about it, I guess. It was just this big shadowy thing, not like any of the ones I've heard stories about."

She snorted, tossing the washcloth into the sink. "Not many of them look anything like what most humans would think. But again, most can't see youkai, so it's to be expected."

"You can see them, though."

"Wow, I'm amazed you figured that big secret out." She droned, and the boy flushed. "Yeah, I can see them. I'm more powerful than pretty much any one of them you'll come across, too."

"Is that how you scared that one away earlier? With some sort of power-"

"Do you want me to answer your other questions or not?" Came the snapped response, cutting him off. Silently, he nodded, pressing his lips together into a tight line. The girl nodded back. "You can see them because you've got more spiritual power than most humans, even if you are a scrawny little wimp. It runs in your family, and your ancestors probably had something to do with the ones you've seen so far. That's why they knew your name and why that one you met tonight was after you."

"How do you know that it runs in my family?"

"I just do, okay? And didn't I just say no more questions?"

"You did not! You just asked if I wanted my questions answered or not."

"Well I'm saying it now, brat! No more questions!"

Hibiki shrunk into himself, head dropping as though her raised voice was a physical threat. The girl stared at him for a couple seconds more before heaving a sigh and moving to sit on the edge of the tub. Her own gaze dropped to the floor as she frowned, as though considering her options. Silence reigned, broken only by the constant stream of water into the sink. It was murky with the mud and blood that had collected on the rag, and Hibiki realized that he'd have to clean it before his father got home. It was the girl who broke the silence, never raising her eyes from their study of the ground.

"Listen, kid. I'm...sorry," and here she paused, grimacing as though the word caused her physical pain. "-if I scared you or anything. It wasn't my intention." Hibiki looked at her with wide eyes, and she glanced up as well, then scowled. "Really, though. You need to man up if you want to become more powerful!"

Hibiki laughed at the indignant tone, shaking his head. "I don't want to be any more powerful. I just want them to go away."

"Well, that's a dream you should let die real quick. Once they know about you, they won't go away unless you make them, and they've already got your scent. The only thing you can do now is either get strong or get eaten. It wouldn't affect me either way, though."

The boy had paled at the words, gold eyes wide at the dawning realization that the events of the night might happen again, or maybe even something worse.

"But how would I even get stronger?" He whispered, her outburst about no more questions already forgotten. "And what should I do until I am?"

Her smile broadened into something predatory, like a cat that had spotted it's prey. "Until then, I can be your bodyguard. Then, when you're older you can do something for me in return. How about that, Natsume?"


	9. Chapter 9

Despite the reports of earthquakes that had shook the villages at the base of the mountain as well as the trees at the top, Chiyoko's class field trip was not cancelled. Her sensei talked about the legends surrounding the old shrine that they would be going to visit, and Chiyoko couldn't help but think that the woman didn't sound like she really believed anything that she said.

A boy raised his hand from the back of the classroom and, without waiting to be called upon, cried out, "Do you think we'll see any monsters?"

The other children laughed, hiding grins behind their hands, but Chiyoko waited for the answer with rapt attention. Their sensei smiled, though the expression didn't seem to reach her eyes, and said, "Of course not."

Chiyoko sunk into her seat and didn't say a word until it was time for them all to head out. It would be her first time visiting the mountains, but she somehow couldn't seem to muster up any kind of excitement. Her thoughts were on her cousin and how he had looked when they'd met that morning to go to school together. He'd said everything was fine, but she hadn't been fooled. Hibiki thought that because she was young, she didn't know anything.

Someone had hurt him, and she wanted to know who.

But he'd only smiled and wrapped his scarf a little tighter and promised her nothing had happened in a voice that was too hoarse for even a cold to cause. He'd had red in his eyes where the white should be and scabs on his face and he'd moved far too stiffly. Chiyoko had promised herself she'd beat up the person who hurt him if they ever showed themselves.

Her thoughts followed her onto the train, where the soft rocking might have been enough to lull her to sleep in another situation. Around her the other students either dozed or played with one another, voices growing steadily louder despite their sensei's warnings. A few seats away Chiyoko's best friend, Haruka, was eyeing the boy who shared a seat with her with distaste as he spoke excitedly of the stories he'd heard about creatures who lived in the mountains. Haruka scowled and rolled her eyes, sending a look at Chiyoko which obviously read, "Help me!" Their seats had been assigned to them by their sensei, though, so she could do nothing but wave and make a face back at her friend.

About ten minutes into the trip, two things happened at once. First, Haruka had apparently had enough of her seatmate. The short tempered girl stood from her seat, yelled that there were no such thing as youkai, and then burst into tears. Second, Chiyoko's seatmate, a quiet girl with brown hair named Kioko, loudly announced that she was about to be sick, and then preceded to throw up on the floor at their feet. Their sensei, looking frazzled, grabbed both Haruka and Kioko and tugged them away from the rest of the class.

Chiyoko gagged, standing up from her seat as an attendant rushed over to guard the mess. There was a stunned silence for just a moment, before a few of the children either began to laugh or to loudly announce that they were going to be sick as well. Chiyoko was worried she was going to be one of the ones who got sick if she didn't get away from the mess immediately. She stared at the empty seat a few rows back, then to the boy who Haruka had just yelled at. He looked like he might be about to cry. With a sigh, Chiyoko moved forward to stand by his side.

"Hello, I'm Endo Chiyoko. May I sit with you?"

The boy looked at her with wide, glossy eyes. He seemed shocked that she was speaking to him. Chiyoko frowned slightly, feeling suddenly self conscious with the way he stared at her and the students that had turned to watch as well. Maybe he thought she was here to yell at him in her friend's place. Maybe the others were waiting for another outburst. Chiyoko was considering turning around and just taking the other empty seat when, finally, he nodded. She settled down quickly, thanking him, and then turned to watch the scenery out the window.

There was a pause, then the boy asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"How to beat someone up." Came the honest answer. The boy looked startled, turning his gaze quickly away from her, like he was worried her apparent wrath would fall upon his head. Chiyoko didn't particularly care to correct him in that moment, her mind still occupied with other things.

There was silence between them while around them the others chattered excitedly, their noise drowning out even the rumble of the train. After a while, Chiyoko said, quiet enough that no one else but the boy would hear, "I think you're right."

The boy's head snapped towards her and he stared with wide eyes once more. She fought the urge to blush, and instead deepened her frown.

"What do you mean, I'm right?" He demanded, sounding vaguely nervous.

"About the youkai. I think they exist, too."

His eyes seemed to grow impossibly wider at her statement and his hands twisted nervously in his lap, pulling at the material of his shirt. He didn't speak, so Chiyoko forged on.

"Do you think there'll be any in the mountain?"

"I think so. I don't think there are a lot that stay near humans anymore, so it's probably one of the only other places they could go."

"Do you think there'll be any bad ones?"

"I don't know. Probably not. Even if there are, I have a charm that can keep them away!" He grinned at her, eyes shining proudly as he pulled a small talisman out of one of the pockets of his bag. He offered the charm to her, beaming when she accepted it. Chiyoko turned it over in her hand, examining it thoughtfully. It was a wood carving of some kind. It looked kind of like an ugly mask and smelled funny, but something about the careful details made the little thing impressive. She hummed, handed it back, and then continued in a whisper. The boy leaned in close to hear her.

"I've seen one. It was big and looked like a shadow. I think there have been others, but they hide themselves better or they don't notice me so I try not to notice them. Have you ever seen one?"  
The boy shook his head quickly and Chiyoko felt her spirits fall. She tried not to show her disappointment, but it must have been apparent on her face, because the boy quickly went on, stumbling over his words in his haste to get them out.

"But I hear them sometimes! They...they talk to my aunt, I think. She studies them, and sometimes when I stay at her house I'll hear her talking at night and strange voices will answer back when there's no one else in the house."

Chiyoko's eyes went wide. "Whoa! Really? That's so cool! They don't try to hurt her or anything?"

The boy shook his head, a wide smile on his face. "Nope! She has special charms, too. Besides, they all just talk and I hear my aunt laugh a lot. But…" He paused here, smile faltering. "She always seems really sad the next morning. I don't know why. I think maybe she can only see them at night."

"I don't think it works like that. The one I saw was during the day!" Chiyoko said, eyes narrowing as though to challenge him to say something against her statement.

"Well I don't know!" The boy huffed back, cheeks puffing out. "I'm not the one who can see 'em in the first place. I'm just telling you what I think!"

"Oh. Alright then." She sat back, glancing back out the window curiously. She wondered when they were going to get to the mountain. "What's your name, by the way?"

The boy looked surprised again, as though he had expected her to have decided to stop talking to him by then. "Ah, sorry. I'm Tooru Isamu."

Chiyoko grinned. "Well Tooru, if I see any of them when we go to the shrine, I'll let you know, okay?"

"Really?" His eyes lit up, cheeks flushed with pleasure as he reached out to grab her hand. He squeezed it, bouncing excitedly in his seat. "Oh man, Aunt Taki is going to be so excited to hear about this!"

Chiyoko laughed, and didn't pull her hand away.


	10. Chapter 10

While the foliage was still green and the sunlight warm, the first hint of an autumnal chill hung in the air. It was really the only thing that alerted the residents of the mountain to the passage of time. Where they might have once watched the humans that visited regularly, seeing each one age with the passing seasons and keeping track of how the time passed in the human world that way, humans rarely visited the mountain or the shrines upon it anymore. The mountain was almost always peaceful, just the rustling of leaves in the wind and the quiet going-ons of it's non-human inhabitants to break the silence.

Which, of course, meant that the sudden sound of dozens of human voices came as a surprise.

Beside a small stream, a small figure's head jolted upwards at the noise. He listened for a moment, head tilted slightly. Then, recognizing the sound of young children, the mountain god smiled. It had been many years since he had seen a human child; the last had been a pair of young girls, brought by on a visit from a dear friend. He had had to don his human form while they were there, but he had enjoyed playing with them regardless.

With a wistful sigh, Kai rose from where he had been examining the water, trying to cleanse it of pollutants with little success, and brushed the mud from his hands onto his yukata. His followers would surely have something to say about that later, but the little god didn't really mind. It was fun to see them fuss, and to be reminded that he had people that cared about him.

He followed the ruckus that the human children made, scaring away birds and other small animals as they hiked up the mountainside. It didn't take him long to find them, parading up the steep steps that led to the old shrine nestled deep within the forest. He watched them for a moment from just off the path, taking in the sights of excitable children and jaded adults. Kai smiled, stepped from his spot amongst the trees, and began to trail along behind them. He listened to their chattering, some of them exclaiming excitedly while others complained loudly, the mountain the subject of almost all of their conversations.

He moved closer, beginning to weave through the throng of bodies. A few glanced up as he passed, obviously feeling his presence is some way, but they always seemed to look straight through him. It made him a little bit sad. He often missed the company of humans, but from what he heard, there were fewer and fewer who could see or even acknowledged his kind anymore. It was better to stay with his followers, Kai knew. Still, it was just too hard to let an opportunity like this pass him by. He smiled as he darted between them, stopping to examine a few who bore a resemblance to humans he had known once upon a time. Most humans shared similarities, though, so it didn't really mean anything when one of the children had the same smile or laughter as the ones he had played with many decades before.

He heard a girl whisper something to one of her friends about how she didn't think any youkai lived on the mountain, and couldn't hold back a laugh.

Immediately, her head snapped towards him. Their eyes locked and both froze, staring. Kai's mouth felt dry. The boy that she had been speaking to stilled as well, turning to follow her gaze. The mountain god felt light-headed with joy as he found himself staring into the faces of two humans he hadn't seen in many seasons.

"Natsume! Tooru!"

He moved forward, appearing in front of the pair so quickly that a gust of wind accompanied him, tugging at the hair and clothes of the humans and an unlucky few losing their hats and shrieking with displeasure.

It was only when he heard the shrill, reedy cry that escaped her lips as she stumbled back a step, eyes full of fear, that Kai realized that the human before him was not Natsume.

The one who looked like Taki turned towards the Natsume lookalike, grabbing at her hand and searching blindly for what she had seen with wide eyes. Kai looked between them, taking in their short stature and their round, youthful faces.

"Oh."

The humans around them continued to shuffle forward, moving around the three like a river across stones. From somewhere ahead, an adult called out for them to hurry up. The Taki lookalike glanced nervously towards the rest of the group before looking back at his friend. He grabbed her hand and called back, "Go on without us! Chiyoko isn't feeling well. We'll catch up soon!"

"Don't wander from the path!" Was the response, called from the front of the group of impatient children, and then the pair were left behind as the others climbed further upwards. Kai watched as they rounded a bend in the path, disappearing from sight. It was only then that the girl spoke.

"Who are you?"

Kai met her eyes once again, taking in the warm brown color and telling himself that, despite other appearances, this wasn't his old friend.

"Sorry. You can call me Kai."

She repeated his name as though it were somehow familiar, lips pursing and brow wrinkling. The boy beside her seemed to be alternating between watching her and searching the air in front of them, his eyes sliding over Kai each time. Then, he leaned towards her and said in a voice just a little too loud to be a whisper, "What's there, Chiyoko?"

Kai took pity on the boy, smiling slightly as he drew on a power he hadn't had to use for a while. The boy shrieked and stumbled back a little, pulling Chiyoko along with him, as Kai materialized from seemingly nowhere right in front of his eyes. The mountain god couldn't help himself; he burst into laughter. The girl narrowed her eyes as the boy looked at Kai with amazement even as he pressed himself up against his friend's side.

"What did you do?" She demanded, levelling a dangerous glare towards the creature that could kill her without lifting a finger. Not that he would, of course, but the way her hands shook even as she met his eyes without flinching didn't escape his notice. Neither of them moved, eyes held in some sort of battle Kai wasn't sure how to break himself from. The wind stirred around them, sending the shadows from the trees rippling over her features and her hair tangling. In that moment, despite having never met the woman, he thought that this must have been what Reiko had looked like.

"Whoa! You're a real youkai?"

And the moment was gone. Kai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as the child turned away, her sights set on the boy instead.

"What do you mean, Isamu-"

"I can see him!" The boy interrupted, practically bouncing where he stood, face full of excitement. The girl looked shocked, gaze darting between the two. "But just a moment ago, you couldn't." She pointed out, her fingers twitching as though she wanted to grab the boy and pull him closer. He shrugged, but didn't stop grinning. Chiyoko rolled her eyes.

"You said "Natsume and Tooru" when you...came over here." She suddenly said, eyes widening as though with realization. "How do you know those names?"

Kai looked sheepish as he answered, not meeting either of their gazes as he scuffed a bare foot against the ground. "Well, they were my friends. The two of you bear a striking resemblance to them, and I just...mistook you."

"Do you know my Aunt Taki?" Isamu asked, his eyes gleaming as he moved forward, ignoring the way that Chiyoko tried to get a hold on his shirt and pull him back towards her and away from Kai.

"Your...aunt?" Kai asked before his own eyes lit up. "Yes! Taki and I were good friends a long while ago. How is she?"

"She's doing well! I usually only see her over the weekends or when dad's away on a business trip, but she seems happy whenever I see her."  
Kai's smile was gentle, almost longing. He turned to Chiyoko. "And how is Natsume?"

He was greeted with suspicion. "Do you mean Hibiki?"

"Oh, no. Natsume Takashi."

"My...my grandfather?"

Kai seemed surprised, his expression turning to one of uncertainty even he nodded. Had it really been that long?

"Ah...my grandfather is dead. He died before I was born." Chiyoko paused at the stricken expression upon the little god's face. "Were you...close?

Kai nodded slowly, his eyes distant. The little girl hesitated, then reached forward to lay her hand upon the god's arm. He turned his attention to her, his eyes wide, tears brimming as his lip trembled. Chiyoko met his gaze, her dark eyes unwavering and sad as she said softly, "I'm sorry."

And just like that, the tears spilled over. Sobs wracked his body as the mountain god mourned the loss of someone he had held so dear. He cried for the silent passing of a human who had had such an impact on his life, and the lives of countless others, human and youkai alike. He wailed, because though he knew that a human's life was fleeting, he had somehow deluded himself into thinking that Natsume would always be there.

Two human children held a distraught god, and the distant rushing sound of a river overflowing its banks filled the forest.

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**Notes- I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but couldn't really think of any way to make it better. Oh well. Unless anyone has any suggestions, it's on to the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

He had stood at the entrance to the school grounds for a long while, looking up at the building and dreading what his classmates and teachers might think of his appearance. He had adjusted and readjusted his scarf with shaking hands, trying to ignore the burning itch of scabs trying to heal and the rawness of his throat. The warning bell sounded, the chime echoing in his bones and the loud noise leaving his head aching.

By the time the next chime announced the start of class, Hibiki was already walking home. His father wouldn't be home until after six, and most of their neighbors either weren't home during the day or didn't care, so he wasn't worried about being caught or punished. It wasn't until he got there and reached for his housekey that he realize that he had locked himself out.

Hibiki heaved a sigh, moving around to the back of the house on the off chance the back door had been left unlocked. When it refused to budge, he was disappointed but not surprised. With a quiet sigh, he eased himself down to sit cross legged on the ground, sore muscles protesting at the action. The sunlight warmed him, but the ground itself was cold. A light breeze stirred the sparse grass and tousled his hair. It carried with it the smell of the city, stifling and heavy, but all that the boy knew.

He leaned back to rest against the cool siding of his house, closing his eyes. His whole body felt heavy and his mind slow. More than anything, Hibiki wanted to just sleep until the pain was gone. Instead, he let his mind wander and his body rest, knowing that if he stayed where he was for too long he'd end up with a cold on top of everything else.

The expression on the girl's face the night before sprang unbidden behind his eyelids. She had seemed so shocked when he'd declined her offer, hurt and surprise flashing over her features before rage had clouded over it. It had had him flinching away instinctively, an apology already on his lips. Before he'd been able to say anything, though, she had turned away and left without another word.

Hibiki had followed after her as soon as his mind caught up to the situation, but by the time he reached the front doors, she was already gone. Not long after that, the earthquakes had begun. They had rattled the windowpanes and felled utility poles. He worried for her, and just hoped fervently that she had made her way home safely.

His father had made it home, drunk as he was, so Hibiki figured that the strong-willed girl would have been able to do the same. For once, he had been grateful that his father had been as wasted as he was. It meant that he hadn't taken notice of the state of the house, or of the state of his son. The morning after, he had been gone before Hibiki had even woken up. If he was lucky, the pattern would persist for long enough that the most obvious marks would be gone. After all, around this time of year, his father tended to avoid any reminder of Hibiki's mother, who had disappeared right around the boy's sixth birthday. By now, he was used to the day passing without any acknowledgment from either of his parents.

Before long, his mind was brought back to the present by the growling of his stomach. Hibiki frowned, knowing he didn't have enough money on him to eat out, and even if he did, the fear that someone would see him and tell on him for skipping school would have been enough to stop him. After a moment of contemplating, he smiled as an idea came to him. Surely, at this time of day, his aunt would be home!

Pushing himself to his feet with a stifled noise of pain, Hibiki began the trek. The Endo family's home wasn't too far away, but with the way his muscles ached with every step and his throat burned with each breath, it seemed like it was halfway across the world.

By the time he arrived, his breaths were coming in short gasps and he could feel sweat collecting beneath his scarf. Still, he didn't dare take it off.

The house was larger than the one he shared with his father, a property that had been passed down through generations. He had heard once that it was originally intended to go to his mother, but that she had insisted her sister be the one to live in it. When he'd asked why, no one really had an answer. For some reason, it both frustrated him and made him smile; After all, it seemed like no one really knew Natsume Mori well. It made him feel less alone in that regard, but it also meant he would likely never know everything he wanted to about her.

Stepping through the front gate, the boy made his way to the door. He hesitated only a brief moment before knocking. There was a long pause, long enough that he began to wonder if perhaps his aunt wasn't home after all. Then, suddenly, the door flew open, startling him enough that he jumped. His aunt stood before him, an apron tied around her waist and the hems of her sleeves wet and soapy. It looked like she had been in the middle of washing dishes.

"Hibiki! This is a surprise. Shouldn't you be in school?" Her smile was bright and wide enough that her laugh lines deepened, and her dark eyes were teasing. Hibiki ducked his head, suddenly regretting his decision to drop by.

"Hello. I wasn't feeling well, and I locked myself out of my house, so I was just coming by to see if you still had the spare key."

Unseen by her nephew, who was busily studying his feet, the woman's smile faltered slightly as she took in his appearance.

"Actually, your uncle has it on his keyring. He'll be home around five today, if you'd like to stay here until then."

Hibiki frowned, angling himself carefully away in an attempt to hide the worst of the marks. He swallowed, then cleared his throat in an attempt to hide the hoarseness of his voice. "Actually, it might be better if I just go to school afterall. I think I'm-"

"Hibiki." She cut him off, her tone suddenly taking on a hard edge. She somehow still managed to sound kind, and it made his chest ache as he remembered his own mother using the same tone when he was being difficult. "Please, come inside. I'll make some tea for your throat and we can have lunch. I'd like the company."

Finally, he looked up and met her eye, returning the gentle smile she offered him. "I'd like that."

Hibiki sat in silence as his aunt bustled about the kitchen, making preparations for lunch while the water for the tea heated. She snatched the kettle from the stove just before it could start whistling, and for that, Hibiki was grateful. He watched as she poured two cups and added different ingredients to each.

"Here, taste that. It should help sooth your throat a bit." She told him, setting the steaming drink in front of him before she settled across from him, sipping at her own tea.

Hibiki did as she said, sipping the drink carefully, wary of burning his tongue. The taste was sweet, hanging heavy on his tongue, but leaving behind just the faintest hint of something bitter that lingered after he swallowed. It wasn't bad. He smiled and thanked her. She just nodded, watching him thoughtfully over her cup, sharp eyes taking in too many little details he would rather avoid having to talk about. He could see the curiosity, the worry, in her face and knew he wouldn't be lucky enough to avoid her inquiries.

After he confirmed the taste was to his liking, she got up again, going through cupboards and pulling out snack foods. He was struck, once again, by the thought that the girl he had met the night before looked eerily familiar to his mother and, by extension, his aunt.

"Aunt Hotaru."

She hummed distractedly in response, brow furrowed as she considered two different packages of cookies, torn between which kind to set out. After an internal debate, she shrugged to herself and put both on the table.

"Was it just you and mom, or did you have any other siblings?"

"It was just the two of us. Our parents talked about expanding a bit sometimes, but...well." She shrugged, grabbed a bag of chips, then sat down before him once again.

"Oh. What about your parents? Did they have any siblings?"

Hotaru looked bemused at his line of questioning. "Your grandfather was an only child, but your grandmother had an older brother. He died a few years back."

"Did he have any children?"

"No, he never married or had any children, which was probably for the best. It was pretty obvious when he took us in that he wasn't too fond of kids. What is this about, Hibiki?" Her fingers were drumming softly on the tabletop as they spoke, her brow furrowed as though she wasn't certain whether to be amused or concerned. Her eyes kept moving slowly over his features, trying to connect dots he wasn't sure were there.

He hesitated, before deciding to answer in half truths.

"I ran into some trouble on the way home from the store last night, and there was a girl who helped me out. She just looked...well, a lot like you, but younger." He thought about the girl's eyes, the way they flashed and glowed, the way her face twisted like an angry animal's before she had stormed out of his house. He compared the image to the woman in front of him and silently amended his statement.

"Is that where those scrapes came from?" Hotaru asked, her voice soft, and he wasn't sure what to make of her tone.

Hibiki nodded silently, focusing his attention on his tea once again. It had cooled slightly, and the bitter tang had become more noticeable as the honey settled. He swished the liquid, and his aunt pushed one of the cookie packages towards him. He didn't tell her that he preferred the other brand.

"What happened?"

He shrugged and her expression darkened. "Hibiki, I know things have been rough since your mom left, but if your father is doing something, you need to-"

"No, it wasn't him!" He cut in, and she paused, taking in his wide eyes and the way that he had gone suddenly pale. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, and the silence settled heavy in the air between them. The afternoon sunlight illuminated the room, and Hotaru watched the dancing shadows of leaves along the far wall. She didn't miss the flash of an out-of-place shadow or the way her nephew blanched, his eyes focused on the window at her back. Something clicked into place in her mind.

"When I was little, my dad would come home with strange injuries." She began softly, and his wide eyes were drawn back to her, the color the same as what stared back at her from old photographs. She smiled, and it was somehow a sad expression. "They were usually small scrapes, or strange bruises. Sometimes they were far more serious. He would just smile at Mori and me when we would ask him what had happened, and say that it wasn't anything to worry about. After a while, we stopped asking. I like to think that he would have told us eventually, but…." She shook her head, heaved a sigh. "Well, it doesn't matter now if he would have or not."

"Why not?"

"Because he's gone, and whatever it was that caused those injuries never bothered us like it did him." She paused, biting her lip. Her eyes were drawn once again to the scarf, and the marks upon his face. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. "But...it's bothering you, isn't it? And if I'm right, Chiyoko soon, too."

Hibiki's throat was dry, his chest felt tight and he couldn't catch his breath. He swallowed a few times, trying to dislodge the lump that had found it's way into his throat. Across the table, his aunt swiped at her eyes a few times, her gaze glassy and distant.

"He never told us outright, but your grandfather could see strange things. I think that maybe your mom could, too." A single tear made it's way down her cheek, and she smiled at him in spite of it.

A sob tore from his throat, surprising even him, and suddenly she was right there, holding him tightly as he cried. He clutched at her shirt as she rocked him gently, making quiet shushing noises. After a moment, just as his tears had started to abate, she began to hum softly. It was a song he recognized from before his mother had left. She would sing it to him when he was hurt, or when he woke up from a bad dream. He hadn't heard it for almost five years, yet the soft, slightly off-key humming was enough to send him into hysterics all over again.

"I don't know what to do." He hiccupped through his tears, face buried in Hotaru's shoulder. She pulled him tighter, unable to offer comfort any other way.

From the window, something watched the pair before flitting off without a word.

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**Notes- Ten points to the first person to guess the reference being made with Natsume's daughters' names.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for such a short chapter after such a long wait between updates! To be honest, I'm sort of flying by the seat of my pants on this fic. When I first started writing it I wasn't really expecting anyone to actually read/like it, so I'm struggling to actually write it with any sort of coherency most of the time. Haha. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, follows, and all that jazz. It means an awful lot to me and you all are the reasons I try to write anything for this at all. (Don't get me wrong, I love Natsume with all my heart! I just have a difficult time writing for it, for some reason?) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this short chapter and here's to hoping that more will come soon.**

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There was a little house nestled at the base of a mountain. It was an older style of home, a leftover relic from a shrine that had once been sprawling and huge, that had long since been torn down and paved over, much to the sorrow of the man who had once watched over it. The contractors had allowed the squat little house and the shrine itself to remain standing on a small plot of land, albeit reluctantly. They had given into the old man's stubborn refusal to be bought out, and had worked around him instead, unwilling to wait for him to die. They had figured that as soon as he did, it wouldn't be much work to be rid of the last eyesore.

If it had been possible, Tanuma would have lived forever, simply to spite them.

As it was, he had to content himself with the knowledge that his son would take the shrine over after he was gone, and with it, the burden of being the living host to a god.

It was a heavy burden to bear, the weight of a second mind, a second soul, living within oneself. But the god was powerful and it was responsible for keeping a delicate order that Tanuma couldn't quite wrap his head around. For all it's power, though, it was also very sick. If it didn't have a host, it would die in a matter of weeks. Tanuma just couldn't bear to let that happen.

Besides, it wasn't like it was all bad. Having the god within him had led to his spiritual powers becoming augmented by its own powers, just enough that the headaches stopped and he could see and hear what had once been shadows quite clearly.

It wasn't rare for low level youkai to cross through the land his home sat upon, though the number of those visiting the human settlements had been steadily declining as the years passed. He was outside sweeping dead leaves from the path when he heard the approaching creatures, their high pitched voices carrying on the wind. He smiled, and didn't let on that he knew they were there as they drew closer. They were arguing, and he watched their rabbit-like ears bob with each movement they made from the corner of his eye, grinning.

"I saw it!" the grey one shouted, paws waving above his head. The brown one scoffed, paws hidden in the folds of its tiny kimono.

"It's impossible," it shot back, nose twitching. "Natsume-sama has been dead for years."

Tanuma nearly dropped his broom.

"_Reiko _is the one who's dead," the grey one insisted. "I saw Natsume-sama inside his home. I remember going there for our names. Don't you? I saw him there just today, I did!"

The broom did clatter to the ground at those words, the hollow sound echoing through the air as it hit the stones of the path. The two little youkai jumped with surprise and bolted, disappearing into the underbrush before Tanuma could manage to find anything to say to call them back. He watched the spot for a long moment. His hands were trembling and he felt something stir within him.

"_What is wrong?" _a voice whispered, soft as the wind through the leaves of the old tree that stood above the shrine. Tanuma shook his head and slowly, carefully leaned down to pick the broom up from the path. His back twinged and he groaned softly. There was the feeling of concern, and even after so many years, it was still a strange sensation to feel emotions that were not his own.

"I'm alright, Akiko," he assured. He knew that that was not the god's true name, but it had been the name it had given him, and after so long it felt natural and comfortable as it fell from his lips and was carried away by the wind. He sighed, watching as the wind carried the leaves he had just cleared from the path back onto it, and said, "I just heard something that surprised me."

He felt Akiko's uncertainty, but slowly the god settled back down, curling into the back of his mind. It was content to observe, woken from a slumber but unwilling to go back to its rest just yet. It always seemed to be more tired during autumn and winter. Tanuma smiled, as amazed and amused as he had been from the beginning that such a powerful creature could care so much for someone like him.

Slowly, he resumed his task of clearing his home's walkway and planning his day out. His son was overdue for a visit; he should call him later tonight. As the thought passed, he found his eyes straying back towards the place where the rabbit youkai had disappeared, mind wandering towards their words. He could feel Akiko's interest piqued. He thought that perhaps, he was overdue for a visit somewhere, himself.


End file.
